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Articles
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Advice for Single Parents
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James Lindsey
http://www.new-dating.com
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If you're a single parent trying to date, it can be tough. Thinking about dating and having the time to date sometimes seem as far apart as East is from West. Questions run through your mind...
Am I being selfish? Do I have the time? Who is going to watch the kids? It's been so long…do I even know how to date?
It can seem overwhelming and look like a far away dream if you don’t have anyone to guide you. Lucky for you, we've picked the minds of successful single dating parents and put together an action plan that will make dating fun, safe and rewarding.
The Action Plan
Your action plan is made up of five simple steps. Each step is designed to build upon the previous one. The goal is for you to spend time with quality dates that respect you and your situation. You will need to put your plan on paper. Why? Because writing takes your plan out of the world of thought and brings it into the world of reality. So get your paper and pencil and let's begin!
Step 1: Assess your situation
Do you really have the time to date? As a single parent, your activities revolve around your kids. Caring for even just one child is a full-time effort. If you have more than one child, your time commitment and workload multiplies. Therefore, if you decide to date, you'll need to create flexibility in your weekly schedule and plan in advance.
It takes time to find love. If you want love, make the time. Write down the time available each week that you think you can devote to dating. Then schedule it.
Step 2: What do you want?
What type of relationship do you really want? Be honest with yourself. Are you looking for a short-term relationship? Long-term? Committed? Non-committed? Do you have a time line? Is your biological clock ticking? What type of person do you want? Tall? Short? Loves to travel? Stay-at-home type? Christian? Family oriented? Good family relationships? Write it down. This is part of your plan.
Consult your heart first and then your head. Create a profile of the perfect person for you. Don't leave anything out. List the qualities you admire, the type of family you want the person to come from, the color of eyes you prefer, etc. The more specific the better. Make it as detailed as possible.
A crystal clear target is much easier to hit than an out-of-focus one. Cupid has the arrow. Help him out and provide the target. Again, write it down. Once you have a clear picture of what you're looking for, it's time to find that person.
Step 3: Find a date
There are three places you can go to find a great date. The first and the easiest is a dating website. Yes, there are thousands of these dating websites out there, but some are great and some are not so great. Read a review of the best dating websites and choose the ones that resonate with you, meet your criteria and then join two or three of them. Why two or three? To increase your chances of a match of course.
Having your profile/ad on two or three dating websites substantially increases the odds of a great match. Successful daters play the odds in their favor. Another advantage to dating websites is that you meet people 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can view their profiles and if you don't like what you see...simply delete them! You get to pick only the best.
The second place you should go for dates are your family and friends. They know you and your life circumstances. They only wish the best for you. Let them know you're looking for a date and what you're looking for (pull out your profile sheet). Let them look for you. The odds are that you'll have a date within a week. Two weeks tops.
The third place to look for dates is anywhere that you happen to be. You never know where love hangs out. The grocery store, the class you’re taking, waiting in line at the bank, etc. Be open to new experiences and new people.
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James Lindsey
http://www.new-dating.com
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